Row and Eat Like a Venetian

An assortment of typical cicchetti and accompanying wines at Venice’s traditional bàcari is the perfect intro to the tastes of Venice without committing to a whole meal. These crostini concoctions are limited only by the imaginations of the proprietors who create them…and none of it will ever taste better than after a late-afternoon lesson, sipping and sampling as the sun sets, in a bella batelina that you rowed yourself. Everyone wants to eat local—though most haven’t the vaguest idea what that means. Being accompanied by a bàcaro devotèe means you might venture Venetian classics like piovra octopus, fluffy white bàcala mantecato (cooked codfish whipped with olive oil) on polenta, a savory hot polpetta meat or tuna croquet, or a speck, robiolo e tartuffo crostino…when you otherwise might pass them by. If your tastes are more conservative, don’t worry: there are plenty options for you, too).

And drinking?

Even if you ‘normally drink red’, we’ll suggest trying out some of the most impressive regional whites in Italy…or anywhere, for that matter. (Have a exceptional passion for wine? Request one of our wine-specialist vogatrice to accompany you.) And don’t worry, non-imbibers will find plenty of non-alcoholic options to slake their thirst.

PLEASE NOTE:

While we don’t get too ‘weird’ food-wise, this activity is designed for food and wine enthusiasts. Cicchetti are prepared with a wide variety of the freshest ingredients (fish and seafood, meats, vegetables and cheeses); we can usually adapt choices to any personal dietary habits. We’re not a restaurant, however, so if your diet is exceptionally restrictive, we suggest late afternoon rowing lesson, after which we’ll point you to some nearby bàcari to sample on your own. If you have any questions, just let us know.